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In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
18 Sep 2021 — 5 Sep 2022 at Metropolitan Museum of Art
· New York City
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion was a 2021–2022 high fashion exhibition presented by the Anna Wintour Costume Center, a wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that houses the Costume Institute's permanent collection.
Approximately 100 men's and women's ensembles by a diverse range of American designers, spanning the 1940s to the present, formed the heart of the show. Alongside full ensembles, the exhibition featured dresses, sweaters, jackets, jumpsuits, bodysuits, coats, smocks, capes, quilts, and even a flag.
The garments were displayed in scrimmed cases designed to evoke three-dimensional "patches" of a quilt, and organized into 12 thematic sections, each exploring a defining emotional quality: Nostalgia, Belonging, Delight, Joy, Wonder, Affinity, Confidence, Strength, Desire, Assurance, Comfort, and Consciousness.
Approximately 100 men's and women's ensembles by a diverse range of American designers, spanning the 1940s to the present, formed the heart of the show. Alongside full ensembles, the exhibition featured dresses, sweaters, jackets, jumpsuits, bodysuits, coats, smocks, capes, quilts, and even a flag.
The garments were displayed in scrimmed cases designed to evoke three-dimensional "patches" of a quilt, and organized into 12 thematic sections, each exploring a defining emotional quality: Nostalgia, Belonging, Delight, Joy, Wonder, Affinity, Confidence, Strength, Desire, Assurance, Comfort, and Consciousness.
About the venue
Metropolitan Museum of Art
· New York City
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the fourth-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5,727,258 visitors in fiscal year 2025, it was the most-visited museum in…
